outpost

/ˈaʊtˌpoʊst/

//ˈaʊtˌpoʊst// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"outpost" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“outpost” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #17,434. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#17,434
frequency rank, English
1,431
“O” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A military post stationed at a distance from the main body of troops.

Corpus desk

Index EN-outpost · outpost · English

outpost · rank #17,434 · 10 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #17,434
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,431
  • PHOTO-FINISH oooh

Nearest frequency peer: oooh (-2 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “outpost”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “outpost” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

outpost vs output
71% similar
outpost vs outcast
71% similar
outpost vs outlast
71% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for outpost
PropertyValue
Headwordoutpost
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈaʊtˌpoʊst/
Letters7
Frequency rank#17,434
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “outpost”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).outpostlands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “oooh” (#17,432), “overflow” (#17,436), “od” (#17,431). Among 1,431 “O” headwords, “outpost” is #17,434. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around outpost (IPA /ˈaʊtˌpoʊst/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #17,434 among 1,431 “O” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for outpost, with forms such as "otupost", "ouptost", and "outopst". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 3 confusable-pair relationships, "output", "outcast", "outlast", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From out- + post. The correct English form is outpost, spelled O-U-T-P-O-S-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A military post stationed at a distance from the main body of troops.
  2. 2
    The body of troops manning such a post.
  3. 3
    An outlying settlement.
  4. 4
    A square protected by a pawn that is in or near the enemy's stronghold.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how outpost appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The outpost did not have enough ammunition to resist a determined assault.
  2. Sgt. Smith fleeced most of the rest of the outpost of their earnings in their weekly game of craps.

Etymology

From out- + post.

This word in other languages

avanzadilla(Español)avant-poste(Français)Vorposten(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • otupost
  • ouptost
  • outopst
  • outposst
  • outpostt
  • outpots
  • outppost
  • outpsot
  • outtpost
  • uotpost

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of outpost - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

otupost2ouptost2outopst2outposst1outpostt1outpots2outppost1outpsot2
Edit distance from "outpost"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "outpost"?
"outpost" is spelled O-U-T-P-O-S-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈaʊtˌpoʊst/.
What does "outpost" mean?
As a noun, "outpost" means: A military post stationed at a distance from the main body of troops.
What words are commonly confused with "outpost"?
"outpost" is commonly confused with "output", "outcast", "outlast". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "outpost"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "outpost" is /ˈaʊtˌpoʊst/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "outpost"?
From out- + post. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "outpost", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

oceanic#17,430nesting#17,427pencils#17,441Nearing#17,424

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

preface10 variantsRaphael10 variantsRockies10 variantsrumored10 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list